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When God Hides His Face - Mark Stevens
When God Hides His Face
Mark Stevens
ISBN: 9780981643700
Revolutionary Disciples Media
Reviewed By Dominique Sessons
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
We’ve all been there before: a grandparent dies suddenly of an illness you never knew she had…a friend’s life is cut tragically short by a terrible car accident, and you never got the chance to say goodbye…or, without warning, even you have lost a job, a home, or something else of value to you, and you have no idea how to handle the pain and confusion that follow…
Grief is universal. It’s common to us all, regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, or background. What’s not universal, though, is the individual ways in which we deal with it. As much as we may wish there were, there is no Grief Handbook 101 from which we can gain a greater understanding of just how to manage the feelings of gloom and despair that besiege us when something or someone we care about deeply is suddenly gone…
That will all change soon, though, if Chaplain Mark Stevens has anything to say about it. When God Hides His Face, Stevens’ masterful debut offering, provides the reader with invaluable insight into the concepts of grief and bereavement. Tackling everything from suicide to post traumatic stress disorder to religious mourning rituals, When God Hides His Face is a comprehensive guide to understanding the reasoning behind – and process of – how we choose to endure the pain of loss.
In making his cogent, convincing points, Stevens draws on his own personal experiences, as well as the countless hours that he has surely spent conducting exhaustive research into the cultural differences and similarities that exist surrounding the issue of grief. He even expounds skillfully on the various aspects of suicide, including the vastly differing perspectives that cultures all over the globe have come to adopt in viewing the issue. Stevens also makes a compelling argument regarding just why the innocent appear to suffer moreso than the clearly evil – using the example of the biblical Job to reach a conclusion that may actually shock and surprise you.
When God Hides His Face is an invaluable asset in navigating the various storms of life, borne of the heartache and tears of a man most familiar with considerable pain of his own. As such, it is a priceless tool whose ultimate value to suffering souls everywhere cannot possibly be measured. Highly recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Chaplain Mark Stevens (When God Hides His Face)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Chaplain Stevens. We're looking forward to learning more about your book and other efforts.
In the book, you share much helpful info regarding the concepts of grief and bereavement. As an example, how is "anticipatory grief" different from typical grief?
Mark Stevens: Anticipatory Grief is the long-term grief and sadness that precedes death; for example, when one’s spouse has a terminal illness, the period of time before death, watching him or her suffer prior to death. This can be more draining than sudden grief at times.
AR: Please share more with us about the different ways in which men and women grieve.
MS: Women are more expressive and are often more vocal with their pain, while men tend to be introspective and bottle up their emotions.
AR: What exactly is a "suicide contagion"?
MS: This is when a person is inspired or influenced to commit suicide by observing someone else's suicide.
AR: Please explain for our readers the primary difference in how Western cultures and Eastern cultures tend to view suicide.
MS: Asian culture, and even Old Testament culture, views suicide in many cases as honorable; Westerners view life as precious and not to be given up - but clearly 2 characters in scripture GAVE their lives for a cause: SAMSON and JESUS; both men laid down their lives to fulfill their callings.
AR: Did Moses really contemplate suicide?
MS: Moses and Elijah wanted to die because of their depression over being overwhelmed in their ministries. Of course, God intervened and encouraged them.
AR: In discussing the difficulties that many people tend to have while grieving, you make repeated reference to how God is "not an ATM machine." Please explain for our readers what you mean by that statement.
MS: God is a Creator with feelings, and he requires a relationship. We often treat God like he is a being that, if we punch in the right scriptures, He MUST respond to OUR will. NOT SO - it is HIS will we must obey.
AR: What inspired you to become a chaplain?
MS: I have always felt that the church does very little for those that can't come to church. There are prisoners and sick people that need pastoral care and are often neglected because we are busy "having church" and not doing the work of ministry.
AR: Please share more with us about precisely what a chaplain does.
MS: Chaplains are mobile pastors; we take pastoral care where most people are afraid to go: the battlefield, prisons, mental hospitals, and crime scenes.
AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, Revolutionary Disciples Media.
MS: RDM is a GODSEND! They took my dream of publishing my scraps of paper into books. I use books to help those behind prison walls, and RDM made the dream a reality!
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
MS: I want to create training manuals for ministers and missionaries.
AR: Do you have a website address where our readers can learn more about you and your efforts?
MS: http://askthechaplain.blogspot.com
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
MS: chaplainstevens@gmail.com
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
MS: Leave the comfortable church pew and do real ministry in your community: feed the homeless, mentor fatherless kids, and go to the sick and shut-in and share the love of Jesus.
AR: Thanks again, Chaplain Stevens, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
Mark Stevens
ISBN: 9780981643700
Revolutionary Disciples Media
Reviewed By Dominique Sessons
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
We’ve all been there before: a grandparent dies suddenly of an illness you never knew she had…a friend’s life is cut tragically short by a terrible car accident, and you never got the chance to say goodbye…or, without warning, even you have lost a job, a home, or something else of value to you, and you have no idea how to handle the pain and confusion that follow…
Grief is universal. It’s common to us all, regardless of our race, ethnicity, nationality, or background. What’s not universal, though, is the individual ways in which we deal with it. As much as we may wish there were, there is no Grief Handbook 101 from which we can gain a greater understanding of just how to manage the feelings of gloom and despair that besiege us when something or someone we care about deeply is suddenly gone…
That will all change soon, though, if Chaplain Mark Stevens has anything to say about it. When God Hides His Face, Stevens’ masterful debut offering, provides the reader with invaluable insight into the concepts of grief and bereavement. Tackling everything from suicide to post traumatic stress disorder to religious mourning rituals, When God Hides His Face is a comprehensive guide to understanding the reasoning behind – and process of – how we choose to endure the pain of loss.
In making his cogent, convincing points, Stevens draws on his own personal experiences, as well as the countless hours that he has surely spent conducting exhaustive research into the cultural differences and similarities that exist surrounding the issue of grief. He even expounds skillfully on the various aspects of suicide, including the vastly differing perspectives that cultures all over the globe have come to adopt in viewing the issue. Stevens also makes a compelling argument regarding just why the innocent appear to suffer moreso than the clearly evil – using the example of the biblical Job to reach a conclusion that may actually shock and surprise you.
When God Hides His Face is an invaluable asset in navigating the various storms of life, borne of the heartache and tears of a man most familiar with considerable pain of his own. As such, it is a priceless tool whose ultimate value to suffering souls everywhere cannot possibly be measured. Highly recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Chaplain Mark Stevens (When God Hides His Face)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Chaplain Stevens. We're looking forward to learning more about your book and other efforts.
In the book, you share much helpful info regarding the concepts of grief and bereavement. As an example, how is "anticipatory grief" different from typical grief?
Mark Stevens: Anticipatory Grief is the long-term grief and sadness that precedes death; for example, when one’s spouse has a terminal illness, the period of time before death, watching him or her suffer prior to death. This can be more draining than sudden grief at times.
AR: Please share more with us about the different ways in which men and women grieve.
MS: Women are more expressive and are often more vocal with their pain, while men tend to be introspective and bottle up their emotions.
AR: What exactly is a "suicide contagion"?
MS: This is when a person is inspired or influenced to commit suicide by observing someone else's suicide.
AR: Please explain for our readers the primary difference in how Western cultures and Eastern cultures tend to view suicide.
MS: Asian culture, and even Old Testament culture, views suicide in many cases as honorable; Westerners view life as precious and not to be given up - but clearly 2 characters in scripture GAVE their lives for a cause: SAMSON and JESUS; both men laid down their lives to fulfill their callings.
AR: Did Moses really contemplate suicide?
MS: Moses and Elijah wanted to die because of their depression over being overwhelmed in their ministries. Of course, God intervened and encouraged them.
AR: In discussing the difficulties that many people tend to have while grieving, you make repeated reference to how God is "not an ATM machine." Please explain for our readers what you mean by that statement.
MS: God is a Creator with feelings, and he requires a relationship. We often treat God like he is a being that, if we punch in the right scriptures, He MUST respond to OUR will. NOT SO - it is HIS will we must obey.
AR: What inspired you to become a chaplain?
MS: I have always felt that the church does very little for those that can't come to church. There are prisoners and sick people that need pastoral care and are often neglected because we are busy "having church" and not doing the work of ministry.
AR: Please share more with us about precisely what a chaplain does.
MS: Chaplains are mobile pastors; we take pastoral care where most people are afraid to go: the battlefield, prisons, mental hospitals, and crime scenes.
AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, Revolutionary Disciples Media.
MS: RDM is a GODSEND! They took my dream of publishing my scraps of paper into books. I use books to help those behind prison walls, and RDM made the dream a reality!
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
MS: I want to create training manuals for ministers and missionaries.
AR: Do you have a website address where our readers can learn more about you and your efforts?
MS: http://askthechaplain.blogspot.com
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
MS: chaplainstevens@gmail.com
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
MS: Leave the comfortable church pew and do real ministry in your community: feed the homeless, mentor fatherless kids, and go to the sick and shut-in and share the love of Jesus.
AR: Thanks again, Chaplain Stevens, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!